High strength aluminum alloys with L12 precipitates
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorAwadh B. Pandey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
High strength aluminum magnesium alloys that can be used at temperatures from about −420° F. (−251° C.) up to about 650° F. (343° C.) are described. The alloys are strengthened by dispersion of particles based on the L12 intermetallic compound Al3X. These alloys comprise aluminum, magnesium, at least one of scandium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium; and at least one of gadolinium, yttrium, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, and niobium. These alloys may also optionally contain zinc, copper, lithium and silicon.
Claims24
An aluminum alloy comprising:
- about 1 to about 8 weight percent magnesium;
- at least one first element selected from the group comprising about 0.1 to about 4 weight percent scandium, about 0.1 to about 20 weight percent erbium, about 0.1 to about 15 weight percent thulium, about 0.1 to about 25 weight percent ytterbium, and about 0.1 to about 25 weight percent lutetium;
- at least one second element selected from the group comprising about 0.1 to about 20 weight percent gadolinium, about 0.1 to about 20 weight percent yttrium, about 0.05 to about 4 weight percent zirconium, about 0.05 to about 10 weight percent titanium, about 0.05 to about 10 weight percent hafnium, and about 0.05 to about 5 weight percent niobium;
- and
- the balance substantially aluminum.
An aluminum alloy comprising:
- about 1 to about 8 weight percent magnesium;
- an aluminum solid solution matrix containing a plurality of dispersed Al3X second phases having L12 structures where X comprises at least one of scandium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium, and at least one of gadolinium, yttrium, zirconium, titanium, hafnium and niobium;
- the balance substantially aluminum.
A method of forming an aluminum alloy, the method comprising:
- (a) forming a melt comprising:
- about 1 to about 8 weight percent magnesium;
- at least one first element selected from the group comprising about 0.1 to about 4 weight percent scandium, about 0.1 to about 20 weight percent erbium, about 0.1 to about 15 weight percent thulium, about 0.1 to about 25 weight percent ytterbium, and about 0.1 to about 25 weight percent lutetium;
- at least one second element selected from the group comprising about 0.1 to about 20 weight percent gadolinium, about 0.1 to about 20 weight percent yttrium, about 0.05 to about 4 weight percent zirconium, about 0.05 to about 10 weight percent titanium, about 0.05 to about 10 weight percent hafnium, and about 0.05 to about 5 weight percent niobium;
- and
- the balance substantially aluminum;
- and
- (b) solidifying the melt to form a solid body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.